An electrical connector (hereinafter, simply called “connector”) having a retainer for retaining a terminal received in a mating connector receiving space of a connector housing (hereinafter, simply called “housing”) is known. In the known connector, the retainer is movable between a pre-latch position avoiding interference with the terminal and a complete latch position interfering with the terminal. In the complete latch position the complete latch position prevents the terminal from exiting the housing. Normally, the connector is delivered from a manufacturer to a user in such a state that the retainer is set in the pre-latch position and an operation for moving the retainer from the pre-latch position to the complete latch position is performed by the user. For example, in a case when a change between mating connector receiving spaces where the terminal should be inserted is performed, often the retainer is moved from the pre-latch position to the complete latch position, then operated from the complete latch position to the pre-latch position, and is further operated from the pre-latch position to the complete latch position.
In the known connector, the retainer has a lock structure for latching the retainer to the housing at the pre-latch position and a lock structure for latching the retainer to the housing at the complete latch position.
For example, Japanese Patent No. H05-144499A illustrates a conventional lock structure at the complete latch position, providing a structure where latching is performed using a latch projection having a small projection amount on the retainer to a latch projection formed on the side of the housing. In another conventional example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,070 illustrates a structure where a latch projection provided on a cantilever-type arm formed integrally with a retainer provides the latching of the latch projection on the side of the retainer to a latch projection on the side of the housing being performed.
In Japanese Patent No. H05-144499A, the structure having a latch projection with a small projection amount provides a member formed integrally with a high rigidity of the latch projection. Therefore, since the latch projection on the side of the retainer and the latch projection on the side of the housing are brought in contact with each other with a strong force, when a moving operation of the retainer between the pre-latch position and the complete latch position is repeated, distal ends of both the projections are scraped. In a case where the distal ends of the projections are scraped, the latching of the retainer to the housing cannot be performed with a required force.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,070, the cantilever-type arm is bent when the latch projection on the side of the retainer comes in contact with the latch projection on the side of the housing to pass over the same with a reduced force by which both latch projections are brought into contact with each other. In this case, both the projections can be prevented from being scraped. In this structure, however, since an operational force for bending the cantilever-type arm when moving between the pre-latch position and the complete latch position is large, operability is poor.